Apparatus for depanning bread loaves



' Oct. 17, 1967 w. DE RIDDER APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING BREAD LOAVES FiledFeb. 25, 1966 United States Patent 3 347 400 APPARATUS FOR DEPABININGBREAD LOAVES William de Kidder, Bachlaan 1, Voorschoten, NetherlandsFiled Feb. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 530,000 Claims priority, applicationNetherlands, Feb. 27, 1965, 65- 31 5 Claims. (Cl: 214-314) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for depanning bread loaves, comprising adelivery conveyor for the pans to be emptied, a turnover device in thepath of the delivery conveyor adapted to move in a vertical plane so asto be swung into a position above a discharge conveyor, a seconddischarge conveyor for the empty pans, and a rotary roller, having itsaxis parallel to the shaft of the turnover device, between the turnoverdevice and the first discharge conveyor, adapted to cause the breadloaves falling on it from the pans in the dumping position of theturnover device to turn further into their upright position on thedischarge conveyor.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to anapparatus for depanning bread loaves, comprising a delivery conveyor forthe pans to be unloaded, a turnover device in the path of this deliveryconveyor adapted to move in a vertical plane so as to be swung into aposition above a discharge conveyor, and means for putting the emptypans on a second discharge conveyor.

In a well-known apparatus of this kind, the bread loaves, while beingturned over and inverted, are allowed to fall on a fixed inverter barcausing them to retake their upright position before they get into thedischarge conveyor. Due to the fact that the bread loaves do not alwaysleave the respective pans at the same time during the turnover movementthe inverter bar is less reliable in its function to cause the breadloaves to, retake their upright position.

Summary of the invention It is thus an object of this invention toprovide an apparatus of the kind referred to, having an improvedinverter member which is more reliable in its function to invert thefalling bread loaves into their upright position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means which willprevent the depanned bread loaves from falling into the space betweenthe shaft of the turnover device and the inverter member.

The improved inverter member of this invention comprises a rotaryinverter roller, which ensures a smooth inverting movement of thedepaned bread loaves falling on it and will assist those bread loaveswhich are cleared rom the pans in a rather late stage, e.g. at the timethe turnover device is already returning to its initial position, topass the dead center in the require-d inverting movement.

The means for preventing depanned bread loaves from falling in the spacebetween the shaft of the turnover device and the inverter member maycomprise a cover member bringing said space. Preferably said covermember is connected to the turnover device so as to assist any breadloaf falling on the cover member to pass the said dead center, when theturnover device is returning to its initial position.

In a preferred embodiment the inverter roller is loaded as by springaction in a direction corresponding with the turnover direction of thebread loaves falling on it, whereas the said cover member is a flexiblemat connected 3,347,400 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 to the turnover deviceand the inverter and adapted to be wound on the inverter roller when theturnover device is swinging upwardly and to be unwound from the saidroller when the turnover device is swinging back to its initialposition.

Brief description 0 the drawings Description of the preferred embodimentWith reference to the drawings 1 designates a delivery conveyor for thebakery pans with the bread loaves contained therein and 2 indicates adischarge conveyor for the empty pans. Between the two conveyors 1 and 2there is provided a turnover device 3, comprising an arm 3a which mayswing upwardly and laterally with the shaft 6 disposed parallel to thedirection of movement of the delivery conveyor 1. Adjacent the shaft. 6the arm 3a is provided with a fixed clamping jaw 4, and a secondclamping jaw 5 mounted at the free end of the arm may be moved towardsand away from the jaw 4. The clamping jaw 5 is mounted on the outer endof a rod member 5a which is slidably contained in a through bore of thearm 3a and carries a cam member 7 at its inner end extending beyond thearm 3a adjacent the shaft 6. A coil spring (not shown in the drawings)being within the hollow arm 3a around the rod member 5a tends to movethe clamping jaw 5 towards the fixed jaw 4. This type of arrangement isshown in more detail in the applicants copending application :Serial No.366,014, filed May 8, 1964, now Patent No. 3,257,017, issued June 21,1966. The cam member 7 cooperates with a fixed abutment 8. When theturnover device 3 is in its horizontal position shown by dotted lines inFIGURE 1, the cam member 7 is in contact with the abutment 8 due towhich contact the clamping jaw 5 takes its outermost position withrespect to the fixed jaw 4.

Between the turnover device 3 and the discharge conveyor 12 for theloaves an inverter roller 11 is rotatably supported in bearings 15, theaxis of which is parallel to that of the shaft 6. The roller 11 isspring loaded in the direction indicated by the arrow x by means of aspring not shown in the drawings. The space between the shaft 6 and theroller 11 is bridged by a flexible mat 10, one end of which is connectedto the turnover arm 3a adjacent the shaft 6 and the other end of whichis tangentially connected to the roller 11.

In operation the pans to be unloaded, usually united into groups orcouples of four pans, are supplied by the delivery conveyor 1 betweenthe clamping jaws 4 and 5 of the turnover device, while the latter is inits horizontal position. When the turnover device 3 is swung upwardlyfrom its horizontal position into the position shown in full lines inFIGURE 1 the cam member 7 becomes free from the abutment 8 so that thejaw 5 is permitted to move towards the fixed jaw 4 the pan couple thusbeing firmly clamped between the two jaws. During this upward movementof the turnover device the roller 11 is permitted to turn in thedirection indicated by the arrow x and the mat 10 is wound on it. At theend of the upward movement the bread loaves are dumped onto the roller11 which causes them to make a further half of a revolution into theirupright position onto the discharge conveyor 2.

The mat 10 is unwound from the roller 11 when the turnover device 3 isswung back to its horizontal position, preventing any bread loaf fromfalling between the shaft 6 and the roller 11 when it leaves therespective pan only "in a rather late stage.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for depanning bread loaves, comprising a deliveryconveyor for the pans to be emptied, a turnover device in the path ofthis delivery conveyor adapted to rotate in a vertical plane so as to beswung into a position above a discharge conveyor, means for putting theempty pans on a second discharge conveyor, and an inverter memberbetween the turnover device and said first discharge conveyor adapted tocause the bread loaves, falling on it from the pans in the dumpingposition of the turnover device, to turn further into their uprightposition onto the said discharge conveyor, said inverter member being arotary roller having its axis parallel to the axis of rotation of theturnover device.

2. An apparatus for depanning bread loaves according to claim 1,comprising a cover member bridging the space between the turnover deviceand the inverter member.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, in which the said cover member isconnected to the turnover device at a 4 point adjacent to but spacedfrom the axis of rotation of the latter.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, in which the said cover member isa flexible mat having one end connected to the turnover device at apoint adjacent to but spaced from the axis of rotation of the latter andthe other end connected to the inverter member.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, in which the said cover member isa flexible mat having one end connected to the turnover device at apoint adjacent to but spaced from the axis of rotation of the latter andthe other end connected to the inverter member, and in which theinverter member is a rotary roller having its axis parallel to the axisof rotation of the turnover device and being spring loaded in theinverting direction so as to wind the mat on it when the turnover deviceis swinging upwardly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS r HUGO O. SCHULZ, PrimaryExaminer. 0

1. AN APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING BREAD LOAVES, COMPRISING A DELIVERYCONVEYOR FOR THE PANS TO BE EMPTIED, A TURNOVER DEVICE IN THE PATH OFTHIS DELIVERY CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO ROTATE IN A VERTICAL PLANE SO AS TO BESWUNG INTO A POSITION ABOVE A DISCHARGE CONVEYOR, MEANS FOR PUTTING THEEMPTY PANS ON A SECOND DISCHARGE CONVEYOR, AND AN INVERTER MEMBERBETWEEN THE TRUNOVER DEVICE AND SAID FIRST DISCHARGE CONVEYOR ADAPTED TOCAUSE THE BREAD LOAVES, FALLING ON IT FROM THE PANS IN THE DUMPINGPOSITION OF THE TURNOVER DEVICE, TO TURN FURTHER INTO THEIR UPRIGHTPOSITION ONTO THE SAID DISCHARGE CONVEYOR, SAID INVERTER MEMBER BEING AROTARY ROLLER HAVING ITS AXIS PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THETURNOVER DEVICE.